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The Google Drive integration allows you to link folders containing restaurant documents, menus, press kits, contracts, and other business files directly into Hiro CRM’s document library.

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What You Can Do

  • Access shared Google Drive folders without leaving Hiro CRM
  • Organize documents by location, category, or type
  • Preview files (PDFs, images, videos) in-app
  • Share links to menus and marketing materials with staff
  • Keep documents synced automatically (changes in Drive appear in Hiro)
  • Perfect for multi-location businesses with centralized assets

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Use Cases

  • Menus: Current food and beverage menus by season
  • Press Kits: Photos, logos, and media resources
  • Contracts: Supplier agreements, rental contracts
  • Training Manuals: Staff onboarding documents
  • Dossiers: Hotel property information, event spaces
  • Marketing Collateral: Flyers, social media graphics

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Prerequisites

1

Google Cloud Project

Create a project in Google Cloud Console
2

Enable Drive API

Enable the Google Drive API for your project
3

API Key or OAuth

Generate an API key (for public folders) or OAuth credentials (for private folders)
4

Shared Folders

Ensure your Drive folders are shared with appropriate permissions

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Setup

Best for folders shared with “Anyone with the link” (no sign-in required).
1

Create Google Cloud Project

  1. Go to Google Cloud Console
  2. Create a new project (e.g., “Hiro CRM Docs”)
2

Enable Drive API

  1. Go to APIs & Services > Library
  2. Search for “Google Drive API”
  3. Click Enable
3

Create API Key

  1. Go to APIs & Services > Credentials
  2. Click Create Credentials > API Key
  3. Copy the key
  4. (Optional) Restrict the key to Google Drive API only
4

Share Your Folders

  1. In Google Drive, right-click your folder
  2. Click Share > Get link
  3. Set to Anyone with the link > Viewer
  4. Copy the folder ID from the URL

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Option 2: OAuth (Private Folders)

Required for folders that aren’t publicly shared.
1

Create OAuth Client

  1. Go to APIs & Services > Credentials
  2. Click Create Credentials > OAuth client ID
  3. Choose Web application
  4. Add authorized redirect URI: https://yourdomain.com/api/auth/google/callback
  5. Download the JSON credentials
2

Get Refresh Token

  1. Use Google OAuth Playground or your app’s OAuth flow
  2. Request scope: https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive.readonly
  3. Exchange authorization code for refresh token

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3. Configure Environment Variables

# Google Drive Integration (Public Folders)
GOOGLE_DRIVE_API_KEY=AIzaSyXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
If using OAuth, never commit GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET or GOOGLE_DRIVE_REFRESH_TOKEN to version control.

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API Reference

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List Folder Contents

import { listDriveFolderContent } from '@/app/actions/google-drive-api';

const result = await listDriveFolderContent(
  '1aBcDeFgHiJkLmNoPqRsTuVwXyZ', // Folder ID
  accessToken // Optional: for private folders
);

if (result.success) {
  console.log('Files:', result.data?.files);
  console.log('Folders:', result.data?.folders);
} else {
  console.error('Error:', result.error);
}

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Get File Metadata

import { getDriveFileMetadata } from '@/app/actions/google-drive-api';

const result = await getDriveFileMetadata('file-id-here');

if (result.success) {
  console.log('File:', result.data?.name);
  console.log('Size:', result.data?.size);
  console.log('Modified:', result.data?.modifiedTime);
}

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Get Download URL

import { getDriveFileDownloadUrl } from '@/app/actions/google-drive-api';

const downloadUrl = await getDriveFileDownloadUrl('file-id-here');
// Returns: https://drive.google.com/uc?export=download&id=file-id-here

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Configure Folders in Hiro CRM

After setting up the API, add folders to your document library: 
import { createGoogleDriveFolder } from '@/app/actions/google-drive-config';

const result = await createGoogleDriveFolder({
  title: 'Current Menus',
  description: 'Food and beverage menus for all locations',
  google_drive_folder_id: '1aBcDeFgHiJkLmNoPqRsTuVwXyZ',
  folder_type: 'document',
  location_id: 'location-uuid', // Optional: link to specific location
  is_active: true,
  is_pinned: true,
  tags: ['menus', 'current']
});

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Folder Types

  • general - Miscellaneous documents
  • photos - Image galleries
  • dossier - Hotel/venue information packs
  • manual - Training and operational manuals
  • document - Contracts, legal files
  • video - Video content
  • press_kit - Marketing and media resources

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Data Structures

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DriveFile

interface DriveFile {
    id: string;                      // Google Drive file ID
    name: string;                    // File name
    mimeType: string;                // e.g., 'application/pdf'
    kind: 'file' | 'folder';         // Type
    webViewLink?: string;            // View in browser
    webContentLink?: string;         // Direct download link
    thumbnailLink?: string;          // Preview thumbnail
    size?: string;                   // File size in bytes
    modifiedTime?: string;           // ISO timestamp
    iconLink?: string;               // Google's file icon
}

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GoogleDriveFolderConfig

interface GoogleDriveFolderConfig {
    id: string;
    title: string;
    description?: string;
    google_drive_folder_id: string;  // The actual Drive folder ID
    google_drive_url?: string;
    location_id?: string;            // Link to specific restaurant/hotel
    folder_type: 'general' | 'photos' | 'dossier' | 'manual' | 'document' | 'video' | 'press_kit';
    display_order: number;
    is_active: boolean;
    is_pinned: boolean;
    tags?: string[];
}

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How It Works

1

Folder Configuration

Admin adds Drive folder ID to Hiro CRM library
2

Permission Check

Hiro verifies it can access the folder (public link or OAuth)
3

API Request

When user opens library, Hiro fetches folder contents via Drive API
4

Display Files

Files and subfolders are rendered in Hiro’s UI
5

Preview/Download

Users can preview or download files using Google’s hosted links

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Finding Your Folder ID

  1. Open the folder in Google Drive
  2. Look at the URL in your browser:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1aBcDeFgHiJkLmNoPqRsTuVwXyZ
                                        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
                                        This is your folder ID
  1. Copy the ID after /folders/

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Troubleshooting

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Error 403: Access Denied

Causes:
  1. Folder is not shared publicly (if using API key method)
  2. API key doesn’t have Drive API enabled
  3. OAuth token expired or doesn’t have drive.readonly scope
Solutions:
  • For public folders: Set sharing to “Anyone with the link” > “Viewer”
  • Verify Drive API is enabled in Google Cloud Console
  • Check API key restrictions (IP, HTTP referrer)
  • For OAuth: Regenerate refresh token with correct scopes

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Error 404: Folder Not Found

  • Double-check the folder ID is correct
  • Ensure folder wasn’t deleted or moved
  • Verify you’re using the right Google account

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Files Not Appearing

  • Folder may be empty
  • Files might be in trash
  • Check file permissions (need at least “Viewer” access)

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Quota Exceeded

Google Drive API has usage limits:
  • Free tier: 20,000 requests/day
  • Paid tier: Higher limits available
Solutions:
  • Cache folder contents (don’t fetch on every page load)
  • Use pagination for large folders
  • Request quota increase in Google Cloud Console

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Example Use Cases

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Display Current Menu

const menuFolder = await getGoogleDriveFolders(
  undefined, // All locations
  undefined, // All categories
  'document'  // Type: document
);

const menuContents = await listDriveFolderContent(
  menuFolder[0].google_drive_folder_id
);

if (menuContents.success) {
  const pdfMenus = menuContents.data?.files.filter(f => 
    f.mimeType === 'application/pdf'
  );
  
  console.log('Available menus:', pdfMenus?.map(m => m.name));
}

const pressKits = await getGoogleDriveFolders(
  'alicante-puerto-location-id',
  undefined,
  'press_kit'
);

if (pressKits.length > 0) {
  const pressKitUrl = pressKits[0].google_drive_url;
  console.log('Press kit:', pressKitUrl);
}

​
Create Hierarchical Library

// Main documents folder
await createGoogleDriveFolder({
  title: 'Corporate Documents',
  google_drive_folder_id: 'main-folder-id',
  folder_type: 'general',
  display_order: 1,
  is_pinned: true
});

// Location-specific menus
await createGoogleDriveFolder({
  title: 'Alicante Puerto - Menus',
  google_drive_folder_id: 'location-menus-id',
  folder_type: 'document',
  location_id: 'alicante-puerto-uuid',
  display_order: 2
});

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Best Practices

  • Use descriptive folder names
  • Organize by location, category, and date
  • Keep folder structure shallow (max 2-3 levels)
  • Archive old content regularly
  • Cache folder listings (refresh every 1-24 hours)
  • Use pagination for folders with 100+ files
  • Don’t fetch Drive API on every page load
  • Store folder metadata in your database
  • For sensitive files, use OAuth (private folders)
  • Review folder sharing settings regularly
  • Revoke access for former employees
  • Use short-lived access tokens, not permanent API keys
  • Use consistent file naming (e.g., “Menu_Summer_2026.pdf”)
  • Include dates in filenames for versioning
  • Remove outdated files from Drive
  • Use Google Drive’s version history

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API Limitations

LimitFree TierPaid Tier
Requests/day20,000Higher (request increase)
Requests/100 seconds1,000Higher
Storage15 GBUp to 30 TB (Workspace)

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Next Steps

User Roles

Learn about user roles and permissions

Multi-Location Setup

Set up document access across locations

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